Anthony O. Van Johnson’s Answers

Absolutely, your mother should hire an attorney as soon as possible. The attorney can assist her in obtaining a bond, if a bond has not been set. More importantly, depending on her record, an attorney may be able to resolve the case without a conviction, and possibly with an expungement of her record.

You need to retain the services of an attorney right away. Punishment for individuals under 21 is severe. An attorney may be able to negotiate a reduction in your charge(s) which could help you avoid a loss of license, possible jail time, etc. You should retain an attorney right away so that the attorney can investigate your case and also prepare any defenses.

Flipping your vehicle, together with a BAC of 0.112, provide sufficient evidence (probable cause) to make the arrest for the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol. I would also assume that your performance on the field sobriety evaluations was not favorable, since you mentioned 3 degenerative discs. You need to hire an experienced DUI defense attorney as soon as possible. If the officer made mistakes on the report, the attorney may be able to identify other procedural errors or...

The first thing your boyfriend should do is retain the services of an experienced attorney. He is only 19. A felony conviction on his record at such a young age could seriously wreck his future career opportunities, in addition to affecting his higher educational goals. An experienced attorney may be able to negotiate a resolution that results in a dismissal or no conviction of some or all of the charges. Accordingly, your boyfriend should not drag his feet on this issue. He should speak...

Your criminal history will likely show an arrest for DUI and HOV lane violation. As far as the disposition, your record should show "reckless driving" as the disposition on your DUI charge. If you entered a guilty or nolo plea to the charge of HOV lane violation, that disposition should also be indicated. If you have a copy of your sentence, it should indicate what the final disposition was on your case.

You indicated that you have a restraining order against your husband. If this is the case, most likely your restraining order states that he can have no contact with you directly or indirectly. If he has made contact with you threatening to "come and find you", then he is already in violation of the Order. You should notify the authorities immediately. If contact has been made, then he can be held on the charge of "aggravated stalking". Second, you should notify the board of pardons and...

One purpose of probation is to ensure that you comply with the terms and conditions of your sentence. If you have not fully complied with all of the terms and conditions of your sentence, a judge is not going to grant you an early termnation of your probation. Pay off your remaining fees and complete your community service, then you will be in a position to make your request of either switching to non-reporting probation or early termination.

Unfortunately, writing a letter to the judge to inform the judge of your personal hardships will not likely bring about the relief you are seeking. There are many cases in which family members suffer hardships once the provider is incarcerated for a criminal offense. You should consider retaining the services of an attorney. An attorney can investigate your husband's case and can petition the court for a modification or reconsideration of the sentence.

Your daughter needs to immediately retain the services of an attorney to represent her at her probation revocation hearing, especially with this being her second violation. Missing the random drug screen is bad enough in and of itself, but then failing to report could result in her having to spend a portion (if not the balance) of her remaining probation in custody. She needs an attorney to attempt to minimize the punishment she is facing.

It appears from the limited information you provided that you and your boyfriend were prohibited from having contact with each other, since you are co-defendants in your case. If that is the case, then when you appear before the judge for your probation revocation hearing, you will be given the option of (1) disputing the allegations that you violated probation, (2) admitting that you violated probation and requesting a hearing solely on the punishment for the violation, or (3) simply...